Newsroom

NEWPORT - Coming soon to an ocean near you - it's Whale Watching Week.

Gray whales make annual migrations past the Oregon coast, and the peak season is coming soon. Volunteers with the "Whale Watching Spoken Here" program are available at 29 prime viewing spots up and down the coast to help visitors see the passing parade of grays. Whale watching sites are staffed from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily from Dec. 26 through Jan. 2.

Spring's whale watch week will be March 20-27.

The Visitor Center at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport will hold a series of events, including children's whale story times, special auditorium presentations and educator-led programs on marine mammals. The center is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

This year's activities will include:

• Daily classes on marine mammal bio-facts at 1:30 p.m., and children storytelling at 2:30 p.m.;

   

• A demonstration table featuring sea turtle skeleton preparation, a marine mammal game, guided demonstrations, marine mammal contraband, and fin whale bio-facts;

   

• In the center's Research Gallery, visitors can view preserved whale barnacles, microscopic krill, tactile models of whales, historic harpoon heads, and current research reports.

There will also be displays of whale watch statistics, representative skulls of Oregon coastal marine mammals, and a chance for children to expose a marine mammal skeleton from the sand.

Regular videos on marine mammals will be presented in the center's auditorium.

Last year, 199 winter whale watch week volunteers helped more than 13,134 whale watchers at the 29 sites along the Oregon Coast and at one site each in Washington and California.

Information on the whale watching program is online at http://www.whalespoken.org.

The coastal sites where whale watch assistance will be available are, from north to south:

• Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Ilwaco, Wash.
• Ecola State Park
• Neahkahnie Mountain Historic Marker Turnout on Highway 101
• Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
• Cape Lookout State Park - 2.5 mile hike to site at tip of Cape
• Inn at Spanish Head Lobby on 10th floor
• Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint
• Depoe Bay Sea Wall
• Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint
• Cape Foulweather
• Devil's Punchbowl (Otter Rock) State Natural Area
• Yaquina Head Lighthouse
• Don A. Davis City Kiosk
• Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site
• Seal Rock State Recreation Site
• Yachats State Park
• Devil's Churn Viewpoint
• Cape Perpetua Overlooko unavailable this year due to restoration project
• Cape Perpetua Interpretive Center
• Cook's Chasm Turnout
• Sea Lion Caves Turnout - large Highway 101 turnout south of tunnel
• Umpqua Lighthouse, near Umpqua Lighthouse State Park
• Shore Acres State Park
• Face Rock Wayside State Scenic Viewpoint
• Cape Blanco Lighthouse, near Cape Blanco State Park
• Battle Rock Wayfinding Point, Port Orford
• Cape Sebastian
• Cape Ferrelo
• Harris Beach State Park, Brookings
• 9th Street Beach, Crescent City, Calif.